Ongoing thoughts on my martial studies and interests, which encompass almost everything.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Kotekitae Kotikitate

Young Lee and Charles Murray demonstrating Kotekitae as taught in Lewis Sensei’s program.

Isshinryu Body Pounding

Spent the morning reviewing several "Toe Tiki Tie" exercises. Sure I know that's not the right way to spell it, but when I was learning we just did it, not take a spelling quiz <GRIN>.

As a new student the arm/body pounding drills were a real part of pre-class practice. By yellow belt I could go toe to to with any of the dans in the drills. Then when I began teaching youth, as it is not appropriate for youngster's it was relegated to late teen training.

In the adult program, with most of us mid 50's to 60's, it likewise is not a concern. But it is useful training at appropriate stages. I remember some of the dan's at one of Sherman's clinics wasting their arms in practice very reminiscent of these drills.

First off, body and arm pounding isn't to toughen up the body and arms, IMVHO. Instead it's to condition them to strike back by tightening at the moment of impact, creating a counter force to lesson a strike. There are still striking methods that can go through that force, and methods of striking that use that conditioning to set one up for follow-up strikes, including in the basic Isshinryu charts (quiz, you tell me where!). But it is still very useful in developing advancing power. Likewise you aren't trying to condition those areas that cannot be conditioned.

The two drills used by Lewis Sensei, I've never seen anywhere else. One was for single person practice and the other was for partner practice.

The two person drill, with both people facing each other in Seiunchin Dachi, hands in chamber on both hips, they are simultaneously executing this pattern. [note the area to strike on the opponent is as you are looking at them. The direction 'right pec or right pectoral' refers to their left pectoral from the opponent’s point of view, and the right is from yourpoint of view.]

1. Right mid-inside strike2. Continuing with the right, right lower strike3. continuing with the right, right mid-outer strike4. Left mid-inside strike5. continuing with the Left , Left lower strike6. continuing with the Left , Left mid-outer strike7. right vertical strike to the opponent’s upper right pec.8. left vertical strike to the opponents upper left pec.9. right flat knuckle slap (with the palm stide of the knuckles) tothe side of the opponents abdomen.10. left flat knuckle slap (with the palm side of the knuckles) to theside of the opponents abdomen.11. right vertical strike to the opponents lower right abdomen.12. left vertical strike to the opponents lower left abdomen.- ** Repeat again

CAUTION, do not strike on the opponent’s centerline. You're body strikes are to the large muscle masses of the pectorals, the side of the abdomen or the lower abdomen.

We were also instructed in a single person conditioning drill, as well as used abdominal kicking with top of the foot roundhouse kicks to develop the ability to take kicking impact.

Training with a partner, start off soft and up the power each time through, till you and/or your partner reach their limit. In time you'll be surprised how far that limit extends.